Distinguishing between holographic and physical objects in an environment. Determining whether an object is holographic or physical begins with monitoring locating objects within an environment. When locating an object within the environment, an object can be identified as physical by detecting a shadow cast by the object, detecting a reflection of the electromagnetic (EM) wave directed at the object, and by detecting a reflection of a sound wave directed at the object. Otherwise, when locating an object within the environment, an object is identified as holographic as a result of the object not casting a shadow, not receiving a reflection of the EM wave from the object, and not receiving a reflection of the sound wave from the object. In one or more embodiments, actions upon a particular object can be determined based on whether the object is physical or holographic.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for determining whether an object is a holographic object or a physical object, the method comprising: monitoring an environment for holographic and physical objects; locating an object within the environment; and in response to locating the object within the environment, directing at least one of light, sound and an electromagnetic (EM) wave toward the object; determining that the object is a physical object by at least one of: detecting a shadow cast by the object created by the light; detecting a reflection of the EM wave directed at the object; and detecting a reflection of a sound wave directed at the object; and otherwise, determining that the object is a holographic object as a result of one or more of the following: the object is not casting a shadow; not receiving a reflection of the EM wave from the object; and not receiving a reflection of the sound wave from the object.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising disrupting the holographic object.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an action in support of the physical object.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the object is a holographic object, locating a source of the holographic object.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein locating a source of the holographic object comprises tracing a light path from the holographic object to a holographic projector.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein locating a source of the holographic object comprises releasing a volatile substance into the environment in order to observe a light path leading to the source of the holographic object.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a location of the holographic object.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a coordinate map of locations of holographic and physical objects.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing the light at a plurality of objects and detecting that one or more objects of the plurality of objects cast a shadow and that one or more other objects of the plurality of objects do not cast a shadow.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing the sound wave at a plurality of objects and detecting that one or more objects of the plurality of objects reflects the sound wave and that one or more other objects of the plurality of objects do not reflect the sound wave.
11. A system for distinguishing between physical and holographic objects, the system comprising: one or more cameras for detecting shadows cast from one or more objects in an environment; a sonic generator for directing sound at the one or more objects and a detector to detect reflections from the sound directed at the one or more objects; one or more processors configured to: identify object as a holographic object as a result of not detecting a shadow associated with the object and as a result of not detecting a reflection of the sound directed at the object, and identify another object as a physical object as a result of detecting a shadow associated with the other object and as a result of detecting a reflection of the sound directed at the object; and depict, on a map of the environment, physical and holographic objects.
12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a detector for detecting electromagnetic (EM) waves reflected from one or more objects.
13. The system of claim 11 further comprising at least one light source for projecting the light at the one or more objects.
14. The system of claim 11 further comprising a volatile substance for release into the environment, wherein the volatile substance when released into the environment highlights a light path leading to a source generating one or more holographic objects.
15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to perform a method for distinguishing between physical and holographic objects, comprising: in response to locating an object within an environment, directing at least one of light, sound and an electromagnetic (EM) wave toward the object; determining that the object is a physical object by at least one of: detecting a shadow cast by the object created by the light; detecting a reflection of the EM wave directed at the object; and detecting a reflection of a sound wave directed at the object; and otherwise, determining that the object is a holographic object as a result of one or more of the following: not detecting a shadow being cast by the object; not receiving a reflection of the EM wave from the object; and not detecting a reflection of the sound wave from the object.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises disrupting the holographic object.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises determining an action in support of the physical object.
18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises locating a source of the holographic object by tracing a light path from the holographic object to a holographic projector.
19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises releasing a volatile substance into the environment in order to highlight a light path leading to a source of the holographic object.
20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises generating a coordinate map of locations of holographic and physical objects.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 10, 2018
March 16, 2021
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.